Freak of Nature

Chapter Twenty-Three

After twenty-one hours on the road, between trains stops and layovers, the train finally pulled into the station. She was certain she hadn’t been followed. Search teams were probably still combing the woods for her.

When Kaitlyn got off the train in Fort Lauderdale, she had a feeling she had been there before. 

Could her instincts have taken her home? The thought scared her. What was she going to do, just waltz back into her old life? 

She was way beyond that point.

Maybe she could get back on the train and go further south, or even west. However, there was something about the coast line that was drawing her in, so she shouldered her bag and started walking. Palm trees lined the road. For some reason, this made her miss Quess and their walks. A palm tree could never replace her favorite birch tree. 

Kaitlyn wandered down the highway, following the signs that said “Beach”. As she crossed a large bridge, cars whizzed by, and a few of them honked their horns. She had no idea what that meant. The smell of the salt air tugged at a memory. She was getting fragments, but nothing strong and overpowering like the earlier memories. She must have spent a lot of time near the ocean in her past life, which would explain the pull. 

A parking lot edged up against the sand, and Kaitlyn mounted the long boardwalk that led to the beach. Neon lights ran down the length of the boardwalk. People sat on the edging, bikers rode by, and a few people skated past her. 

She left the sidewalk and stepped on to the sandy beach. The grey-blue ocean spread before her beneath a sky of white, fluffy clouds. There were couples walking hand in hand or sitting on blankets near the water while their children made sand castles. Kaitlyn pulled off her shoes and stepped barefoot on to the warm, gritty sand, making a straight line for the water. No one gave her a second glance. For the first time in her new life, she felt invisible. She was just another person enjoying the beach. The thought was comforting, even though she knew it was far from the truth. She would never be truly human again. 

It felt so natural to step into the surf. The ocean waves lapping against the sand and her feet had a calming effect on her, almost like the way Lucas calmed her mind. 

She noticed some people were sleeping on the beach, and she briefly wondered if she should do that as well, but her sensors flashed ‘caution’. After a quick scan, she realized she needed to find a hotel. Reluctantly, Kaitlyn made her way across the beach and back to the main road. 

Several hotels lined the street, many of them with flashing vacancy signs. She entered the first hotel and greeted the clerk behind the counter.

“I would like to stay the night, please,” Kaitlyn said.

“Of course.” The older woman turned to her computer and started clicking on the keyboard. “One night will be ninety-seven.”

Kaitlyn reached in her bag and handed the clerk a hundred. “No, sorry. We need a credit card to keep on file.” Kaitlyn stared at her blankly. 

“A credit card. You know, the plastic card with one of these symbols.” The clerk pointed at a sign on the counter. 

Kaitlyn’s scans recognized the five colorful emblems. Within seconds, she knew what each stood for and she knew she didn’t have one.

“I don’t have one of those,” she replied, holding out the hundred dollar bill. “I only have cash.”

“Company policy. No card, no room.”

Kaitlyn shoved the money back in the side pocket of her bag before she slung it on her shoulders. “Do you know of any hotels in the area that don’t require credit cards?” she asked stiffly.